


Dracarys

by TheRayneAlchemist



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Dragon Guardian AU, Dragon!Akashi, Dragon!Kagami, M/M, Warlock!Himuro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-24
Updated: 2016-10-21
Packaged: 2018-03-14 22:29:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3427856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRayneAlchemist/pseuds/TheRayneAlchemist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There were quite a few things Kagami had been prepared to take on when he accepted the position of Japan’s Magical Advisor. Solving simple territorial disputes between fairies, dealing with the occasional mountain troll and even the occasional brush with Japan’s legendary kitsunes - it all came with the territory.</p><p>But one thing he hadn’t bargained on was becoming the teacher to Japan’s newest magical guardian.</p><p>"I’m not going to do it! I don’t care if he’s the the last of his line or the first Guardian to be born in generations! I will not teach Akashi Seijuuro to become a dragon!"</p><p> </p><p>Alternately, where Kagami tries to be a teacher and Akashi is a snarky student with a ridiculously high learning curve.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This AU is based off of American Dragon Jake Long because I liked the whole concept of dragon guardians for each country.
> 
> Japan hasn't had a Guardian for years because no full dragon has been born there in ages. Kagami isn’t considered an option because he got his powers while he was in America thus technically making him an american dragon (not guardian). When he moved back to Japan he was appointed a kind of pseudo-guardian just because Japan really needed a dragon.
> 
> Also, I just wanted dragon!Akashi and dragon!Kagami to just be at each others throats.

Kagami isn’t sure which god he managed to piss off to land himself in this situation but he would readily do anything to get himself out of the mess he was currently in.

Before him loomed the impressive Kyoto residence of the Seijuuro family. Large and intimidating, the house seemed to mock him with its presence.

 _Ugh… How did I even get here…?_ he thought tiredly.

_Oh right… That phone call…_

 

**One Week Earlier**

Morning found Kagami going through his usual routine having just returned from his morning jog. He was just pouring himself some cereal to stave off at least some of his hunger while he prepared a proper breakfast when his phone rang.

Kagami actually debated whether or not he should answer the phone, after all, he still had breakfast to prepare, but one glance at the caller ID made him rethink his choices.

Diana. The phone showed. His magical advisor and bane of his existence (aside from Aomine). As much as he appreciated her help in teaching him how to deal with magcial politics, she was a bit pushy and slightly manipulative. Kagami was never too sure where he was with her whenever they spoke. 

He groaned but pressed answer anyway. It would only be worse if he ignored her, whatever _it_ would be.

“What?” he growled by way of greeting.

Diana didn’t seem the slightest bit fazed. “What’s up buttercup? All’s good in your life and war?”

Kagami frowned. She was doing small talk. She never did small talk. Diana was all about business. Get in, say what needed to be said and get out again. Quick and efficient. The only time she ever asked how he was doing was when she was about to ask something that he would be against doing. 

"What do you want?" he asked, suddenly suspicious.

"Nothing! Can’t I just call for some friendly conversation with an old student?"

"No. You don’t do conversation."

Kagami could practically feel her rolling her eyes at the other end of the line.

"Fine fine, you got me." Kagami smirked. "I’m actually calling for you to do me a favour."

Feeling vilified in his suspicions, he set his bowl down and leant against the counter. “Exactly what _kind_ of favour.”

There was a pause at the other end of the line. “Well, as you know, Japan hasn’t had a magical guardian in years.”

"Right, which is why I’m here as an acting Guardian. Did you call just to tell me things I already know?"

He heard a low growl in response. “Okay smart ass, I was gonna try and give this to you lightly seeing as I kind of felt felt sorry for you, but seeing as you think you’re such a know it all, I’ll give it to you plain and straight. A new dragon has appeared in Japan.”

That caught his interest. “A new dragon?” he repeated.

"Yeah. Apparently Japan’s had one last line of dragons but for some reason none of them have awakened for years. Un-til now." she said, emphasizing each syllable.

"That’s great!" That would mean no more having to deal with fighting ghosts in the middle of Tokyo and hoping no one noticed. No more having to fight Kyoto trolls on weekends and being dead tired for Monday morning practices. 

This would make thigns so much easier in his life!

"Not so fast big boy. You’ve still got a job to do." Kagami deflated instantly.

"What kind of job?"

"Well, seeing as the council is busy right now and all our other dragon masters have either already taken on a new apprentice or retired, it seems we’re a little short of people to teach this dragon about his new found powers.”

Dread began pooling in the pit of his stomach. “Please don’t tell me they’ve decided to name _me_ his teacher?”

”Yup,” she replied, popping the ‘p’.

”No no no no no! I don’t wanna teach some snot nosed kid how to deal with being a dragon!” he complained.

”Then you’re in luck. Your snot nosed kid is actually a snot nosed teenager.”

That surprised him. “Teenager?”

"Mhmm. A late bloomer it looks like. Well, at the very least he hasn’t managed to burn anything down yet and according to our reports he’s supposed to be some kind of genius."

"Even better, I’m dealing with a genius," Kagami said, thinking of the generation of miracles. They were all labelled geniuses and if his new ‘student’ had any arrogance to match theirs then he could easily see this not working out.

"He’s the son of some human big shot. Says here he even plays basketball."

"Basketball?" Kagami’s interest piqued then froze over. Basketball. Genius. Those two words only went together when describing a few persons.

"Yep. Actually, I think you know the kid." Kagami’s stomach dropped.

Please don’t be one of them. Please don’t be one of them. If it’s one of them please don’t make it Midorima. Or Aomine. I can deal with any other one just not them!

"Akashi Seijuuro. The name sound familiar to you?"

The stomach that had previously disappeared suddenly came back this time filled with lead.

Akashi Seijuurou. Kuroko's psychotic ex-captain who they had only recently defeated in the Winter Cup. The Askashi Seijuurou who had almost stabbed him on their first meeting just because he refused to leave the MiraGen's  _private meeting._   _That_ Akashi Seijuurou? 

"I refuse." was the first thing out of his mouth.

"What? You can’t refuse! He’s probably the last in his line! Not to mention the first hint of a guardian Japan’s had for decades!"

"I’m not going to do it! I don’t care if he’s the the last of his line or the first Guardian to be born in generations! I will not teach Akashi Seijuuro to become a dragon!" No matter what Kuroko said about Akashi changing recently or how nice he used to be in highschool. Kagami had a strict thing against dealing with miniature psychopaths. Especially once with enough money to get rid of him and have no one ask any questions. 

"You can and you will. You don’t have any choice in the matter."

"What about school? I do have work to do over the summer you know!" As if he really cared about school but he was grabbing for anything that might get him out of this.

"Then do it while you’re training him."

"And what about training? My coach will kill me if I just up and disappear!" That was no exaggeration. If Riko found out he ditched an entire summer to go to Kyoto for Akashi of all people she would flip.

”It’s only for the summer.”

”She will _slaughter_ me!”

"Then let her send you off with a training schedule. I don’t know. Figure it out! You’ve been balancing your dragon life and human life for years, you can do it again now!"

"But-"

"No more buts!" she growled and, even through the phone, it made a shiver run down his spine. "You have your orders and you will carry them out to the best of your abilities. Is that clear?"

"Yes ma’am…"

"Great," she said sweetly. "I’ll be expecting timely progress reports during his training and a complete profile of our new dragon at the end of summer. Have fun!" and she hung up leaving Kagami to bang his head against the counter.

5 days, 2 beatings, dozens of letters and 1 thoroughly long lecture from Riko and Hyuuga later, Kagami found himself where he was now. Sanding before the Seijuuro residence.

He wasn’t supposed to be here. He should have been at home, enjoying the first day of summer, but instead he was here getting ready to face his doom.

Sighing, he steeled himself to knock but before his hand even touched the door it opened to reveal one Akashi Seijuuro giving him an amused look.

"What, no servants?" Kagami blurted out. Good going, Taiga. Now he’s gonna stab you in the eye.

While he mentally braced himself for some inevitable form of torture that Akashi would undoubtedly send his way he failed to note Akashi’s lips forming an amused smirk.

"No. No servants. I felt it unnecessary for them to be here, especially given the… nature of what you’ve come to teach."

Kagami gave him a blank -as blank as his face could go- stare which only seemed to amuse Akashi further.

"Good call," Kagami said finally, as Akashi motioned for him to enter.

Inside was just as intimidating as the outside. Kagami was fairly sure that half of the paintings on display could easily pay his way through college. The thought made him sick.

"I look forward to these next few months with you, Taiga." Kagami shuddered. He didn’t like the tone Akashi had. It was smug and prideful and promised some of the most mentally gruelling sessions he might probably ever have with another dragon.

"Or should I say, Taiga-sensei."

If Kagami knew he could have gotten away with it, he probably would have punched Akashi in the face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Challenges were something that Akashi relished. They added flavour to his life and kept him on his toes. 
> 
> The harder the challenge, the more satisfying the victory was when he overcame it.
> 
> That being said, the sudden revelation of being a dragon seemed to be proving a tad trickier than he thought.

Dracarys 2

Challenges were something that Akashi relished. They added flavour to his life and kept him on his toes.

The harder the challenge, the more satisfying the victory was when he overcame it.

That being said, the sudden revelation of being a dragon seemed to be proving a tad trickier than he thought. 

"Your arm's on fire again," Kagami said. 

Practically instinct now, Akashi opened his eyes and glared at the offending flames creeping up his arms before willing them away. They flared bright red for a second before vanishing all together. 

Kagami let out a low whistle. "You know, when you said you were having problems controlling your powers I didn't think it would be quite this bad." 

"A valuable observation," Akashi said dryly, giving his arm another shake where the flames had started once more.

  
Currently the two were outside in the manor's rock garden. Akashi surmised that the lack of flammable foliage would do them good for Kagami's first lesson. As it was, Akashi had barely given the other boy a chance to deposit his bags in his room before ushering -read bullying- him into the garden to solve Akashi's habit of spontaneously combusting.

"It's a pretty basic problem," Kagami said after watching Akashi put out another flame on his knee. "It's just a result of your body trying to get used to the sudden influx of magic."

"And how do I stop it?" Akashi asked, checking his pants for signs of damage. There were none.

Kagami shrugged. "You don't. How long has it been happening?"

Akashi thought back. "Two days."

Kagami was quiet for a moment. "It'll probably only last a day or so longer I suppose. I'm guessing you haven't burnt anything yet."

Akashi gave him a glare. "No."

Kagami put his hands up quickly to pacify the other boy. "I'm just asking. If you had then that means you have less control of your magic than I thought. And _that_ would be where the real problem begins." 

Akashi thought on that information for a moment. "So these flames can burn things but only if I chose?" That was interesting to note. So far he had yet to actually singe anything with his flames but that still didn't mean he hadn't been cautious. 

"Yep." Kagami bent down and picked up a leaf. "These types of flames are actually supposed to be more transformative than combative." A sudden flame over Kagami's hand and when it died down in it's place was a dragon's claw. The leaf remained untouched.

So that's why he hadn't burnt anything yet. Akashi supposed he should have realized it was that simple when he woke up one morning engulfed in flames. He'd come out unscathed and, remarkably, so had his bed but the incident had been enough to make him extremely cautious.

"You know you're taking this pretty well," Kagami commented, breaking Akashi out of his reverie. 

"You mean suddenly finding out that I can turn into a dragon and that I'm supposed to be some sort of mystical guardian to a magical world which I've never believed in up to now?" Akashi asked. "I'm taking all that pretty well?"

Kagami looked sheepish. "From the looks of it... yeah."

"Well I suppose I'm taking it as well as one can considering this is entirely new to me," Akashi said, sitting down on the ground and crossing his feet. The movement was so casual that it stunned Kagami for a moment. He didn't think Akashi would be one to sit on the ground of all places. It just seemed.... odd.

"For the record, I am capable of sitting on the ground and floor and other such places when the need arises," Akashi said, seemingly reading Kagami's thoughts.

Kagami's brow ticked. "Well sorry," he drawled. "I just find it odd that the mighty Captain Akashi would actually use the floor and dirty his good slacks." 

"It's not a matter of dirtying oneself," Akashi said simply. "It's a matter of taking stock of what's usable around you and making it work to the best of your ability to achieve your goals." 

Kagami rolled his eyes. he had a feeling that Akashi was talking about much more than just sitting on the floor but that wasn't an argument he wanted to have with the other boy. He just wanted to teach what needed to be taught and get the hell out of dodge as quickly as possible. 

"So what other abilities may I come to expect," Akashi asked. 

"An increase in strength, speed and stamina. So much so that it'll seem inhuman at first but then you'll be back to human standards. Your senses should get better as well," Kagami said. "Smell and sound might be the hardest to deal with at first but you'll get used to it." 

Akashi flexed his fingers as though he could already feel the new strength in them. "Any thing else?" he sounded eager. 

Kagami rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. "You know, I'm doing this all backwards. Teaching you about your powers before you even know what you're supposed to do with 'em. Di would skin me."

"Then what is the 'correct' order," Akashi asked. "Sensei," he added slyly. 

Kagami scowled. "Don't call me that." Akashi looked unapologetic. 

"And it would be explaining what it means to be a dragon. Specifically, what it'll mean to you now that you're a dragon."

Akashi looked interested now. 

"Dragons have the responsibility of making sure the magical world and the human world remain separate."

"For the sake of the magical world I suppose," Akashi stated. 

"And for humanity's sake as well," Kagami replied. "If the past is anything to go by, humans aren't the best at dealing with magic. Even if one or two accept it, humanity in general isn't ready for magic as a norm. they'd abuse it and the magical creatures around them. For that reason, we have to keep them apart. If that's impossible, then we make sure that there's no major influence on either world." 

"So there _are_ cases where the two worlds intersect," Akashi hummed. 

"Quite a few major 'human' corporations are either headed or controlled by some magical entity or the other. It's risky, but necessary in order to keep humans from sniffing too close to magical territories," Kagami said. "In situations like that, guardians are responsible for making sure there isn't too much friction or that humans aren't being abused."

"So dragons have some amount of control in these corporations?" 

"Not in the way you're thinking but us dragons have very effective methods of... persuasion..." Kagami grinned. Akashi saw a flash of razor sharp teeth before they returned to looking human.

"But aside from that there isn't any real magical entity who wants to be too involved with humans," Kagami said. "We prefer to stick to our own. Saves a lot of trouble."

"You seem rather comfortable among 'humans'," Akashi noted. 

Kagami's glare softened. "You'll find Japan isn't really a major hotspot when it comes to local magic. You want to know why you came as such a surprise to the Dragon Council? It's because there hasn't been a dragon sighting in Japan for centuries. Magical communities may like to keep to themselves, but Japan's practically a dead zone for inter-communal relations. Magic stays to magic and doesn't leave room for much else" he finished softly. 

Akashi watched the other boy for a moment who seemed lost in his thoughts. 

"Then why are you here?" he asked after some time. Kagami's eyes narrowed in his direction. "Kuroko informed me that you live on your own. Surely you could have simply remained in America."

Kagami's eyes narrowed into slits and Akashi saw something flash there before it dulled again. "There are many reasons contributing to why I'm in Japan. None of which are any of your business."

Then he cleared his throat. "Anyway, that's off topic. I've been doing a guardian's duties for little over a year here in Japan but now that'll all be your job. You'll have to be aware of all prominent magical communities around Japan and their affiliations since you'll be the one dealing with them soon. But that'll come after I teach you more about your powers. I can't go introducing a half trained dragon to the Elders in Japan. They'd laugh the Council out of their seats."Kagami smiled at this but Akashi just rested his hands on his knees and let the information soak in.

"While you learn about your powers you'll follow me during my jobs and learn as we go and over time I'll start handing tasks over to you. I need you to understand this, being a dragon - being a guardian for that matter - isn't a task you can take for granted. It isn't like captaining a basketball team. With this role you'll be leading, not 10 people, but an entire culture which will be resting their hopes and dreams on your shoulders."

Kagami levelled him with a strong glare. Akashi could read the intensity in his eyes, the same intensity he'd seen on the basketball court not too long ago when they'd faced off. This was something he took pride in, something which consumed him with a burning passion. 

Akashi could almost see the challenge Kagami was presenting him to even dare taking the task lightly. But Akashi wasn't a fool and neither did he back down from a challenge. Being a dragon may have been unexpected in his plan for life, but it was here now and he planned on dealing with it -not to the best of his ability- but to the best it could possibly be dealt with. 

He matched Kagami's glared with a level look of his own, almost as though trying to communicate all that to the other boy through their eyes. It must have worked because after a time Kagami nodded looked away from Akashi once more. 

Despite Akashi's initial impression of Kagami's hot headedness, Kagami was proving to be a quite serious teacher. He was clear and concise in explaining the role of being a dragon, his future position as a guardian and the role he was expected to play in the new world he would be learning about. The whole time, however, he never moved from his place leaning against the stone wall. He carefully kept a wide berth between them and never made any move to close it. Akashi made careful note of that. Kagami's wariness of him might prove detrimental in the future. 

"That was most informative," Akashi said. "You're quite good at explaining things. It makes me wonder how your grades could be as abysmal as Tetuya purports them to be."  
That made Kagami snarl. "Cuz I've had to live through all this stuff!" he growled. "You try dealing with magic politics for a few years and see if you don't come out knowing a little something. It's not like I'll ever have to find the root of a function while I'm fighting a Tengu."

Akashi's lip quirked. "Indeed..." 

Kagami huffed "Anyway, I'm not really here to teach you history and all that. You want to know more about that sort of thing I can find you some books or something. I'm more concerned with making sure you know how to move around the true nature of this country without accidentally messing something up."

Akashi placed both his palms up in an act of acquiescence. "I place myself in your hands."

The words sounded sincere enough but Kagami could make out the barest hint of a smile on his lips. Kagami could feel himself ageing on the inside. He would much rather Akashi be openly hostile or demeaning, that sort of thing he knew how to deal with easily, but the sudden piousness of the boy put him on edge. Despite what Kuroko tried to say about Akashi seemingly changing for the better Kagami would have much preferred to hear of those changes reported from Kuroko rather than straight from the dragon's mouth. 

"Whatever," was all Kagami said with a huff. "I'm hungry and need a nap. Those flames shouldn't case you trouble for much longer so we'll start our official first lesson in the morning." With that he turned away with the intention of finding his way back to the house.

"Taiga," he heard Akashi say and the sound of his name froze him in his tracks. He was unused to hearing his first name in Japan, sans Tatsuya and the occasional Alex, and as much as he thought he was used to hearing his name in America, hearing it from Akashi's mouth sounded weird. 

"Do you need something?" Kagami grit out. 

"I wish... to apologize." 

That actually made Kagami turn around and stare at Akashi. Satisfied that he had Kagami's attention, Akashi stood and brushed the dirt off his pants. 

"What did you say?" Kagami asked in disbelief. 

"I said, I wish to apologize," Akashi repeated. "Our first meeting wasn't the best, largely by my fault-"

"Largely? You tried to stab me!" Kagami fumed. 

"And I wish to own up that I was indeed in the wrong at that time," Akashi said, continuing as though Kagami had never interrupted. "At that time I was rash and impulsive, and while it does not excuse my behaviour, I hope you understand that the person I was then is not the person I want to be in the future."

Kagami just stared at Akashi. "Alright. Apology accepted I guess. Just... no more scissors?" Kagami asked. 

Akashi looked at him at that comment, recognizing it for what it was. A peace offering. 

"Yes, no more scissors."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to those of you who liked this so far. I spent way too much time building a background for dragon!Kagami than I should have but oh well. You'll see the results of that as this progresses. 
> 
> on another note, I don't know how to handle Akashi at all. He does his own thing when I write him. He seems to be turning into a rather sarcastic person in my head. He's much deeper than that but I'm having trouble translating that into type. Oh well. I guess he's just one of those characters.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagami grinned, the action baring two long rows of very sharp teeth before turning his head to look Akashi in the eye. 
> 
> Again he was thrown by how small he was compared to Kagami's dragon form. His head was the same size as one of Kagami's eyes and Akashi was sure, judging by his sizable throat, the other boy wouldn't have any trouble swallowing him whole if he truly wanted.

When Akashi woke the next morning he got the distinct impression that something was off. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he sat up and began deliberating what could be causing this feeling of unease.

  
He listened carefully to his surroundings but he could hear nothing unusual, so then what was wrong? Then he realised something. He wasn't hearing anything. Not a single thing. Not a bird was chirping, not a breath of wind was blowing... the air seemed unnaturally still and it set him on edge. Akashi snapped his fingers just to make sure he hadn't suddenly become deaf and was pleased to hear the solid 'snap' his hand made. But that didn't do much to set his mind at ease. 

Kagami Taiga... Akashi wondered what the other boy was up to. The sun was already up and from a glance at his bedside clock it had been up for the last 30 minutes or so. Well enough time for Kagami to be up and moving already so why hadn't he heard anything from him? Hadn't Kagami been the one to insist their first lesson start as early as possible?  
Mildly irritated at the other boy's irresponsibility, Akashi got up and quickly washed his face and changed out of his night clothes before going to look for Kagami. 

He was surprised to find the bed empty. From the state of the sheets it had quite obviously been slept in but where was his guest? 

A quick run through the small manor revealed that Kagami was indeed no where inside the house but Akashi did find a note in the kitchen advising him against eating breakfast and instructing him to meet Taiga in a small clearing outside the garden. 

Akashi immediately knew where Taiga was referring to, a small clearing of land about a five minute walk once you left the garden, and grew curious as to what Taiga might have in store for him. The instructions not to eat breakfast were interesting as well. 

Deciding to only partly follow Taiga's instructions, Akashi ate two granola bars and swallowed a glass of iced tea before making his way out the house. Once he arrived Akashi spent about ten minutes waiting for Kagami to arrive. As the time went by Akashi's irritation grew. If it weren't for the fact that his arm was still occasionally bursting into flames he might have thought that this entire arrangement was some elaborate joke that someone arranged for him. Dragons and magical worlds and being guardian for everything in between. What else would have gotten Akashi out of his bed at 6:30 in the morning only to be forced to wait outside in the glare of the morning sun with little to nothing resting in his stomach. 

Just as Akashi was getting ready to curse Taiga and his family and return to the house a sudden gust of wind nearly bowled him off his feet. 

Akashi clung to a tree as the wind began to pick up, violently moving through the trees and even bending some of the younger trees at their roots. Akashi's ears picked up a steady 'thump thump' accompanying the violent wind and his eyes nearly bulged out of his head when massive red dragon landed in the clearing. 

The dragon made a solid 'thump' as it landed, shaking the ground and making Akashi's legs wobble as he clung to a tree for support. 

Well, if he had any doubts before about dragons being real before this completely blew them away. 

The dragon flexed its claws into the ground, leaving several deep gouges in the hard earth as it settled itself firmly on the ground. It flexed its wings a few times, stunning Akashi as its scales rippled black with every move, before tucking them away neatly against its back. 

"I know you're there," the dragon said, speaking with the unmistakable voice of Kagami Taiga. Kagami settled himself onto the ground, sitting squarely on his hind legs before dropping forward to lie on his stomach, crossing one of his forelegs over the other and looking positively bored.

Akashi crept forward slowly, taking note of Kagami's large body and making sure not to fall in any of the new pit falls the dragon's claws had made. 

"Well..." Akashi said, looking Kagami up and down again. Kagami's tail flicked lazily behind him. "That was quite the entrance." 

Kagami chuckled, the sound coming from somewhere deep in his throat making it sound more like a growl than anything else. "I haven't had a decent flight in a long time," Kagami said. "There's barely anyone out here, unlike in Tokyo. Makes for a more leisurely flight if I don't have to worry about crashing into planes or terrifying the local avian wildlife." 

Akashi chuckled weakly, taking another step closer to Kagami to investigate his dragon form better.

"May I?" he asked, holding up a hand and letting it hover over Kagami's scales. Kagami gave him a long look. For a moment, Akashi actually felt nervous. This wasn't Kagami Taiga, Seirin's ace and star power forward, staring at him. This was Kagami Taiga, the dragon and guardian of Japan's magic. Kagami's slitted red eyes seemed filled with knowledge as he stared down at Akashi. Finally, after some time, Kagami blinked and nodded. 

Akashi was surprised, not that Kagami said yes, but that when he blinked he actually closed his eyes like a normal human or mammal. He was expecting something far more reptilian, like the moving film he'd often seen on snakes and larger lizards when they blinked. He commented on that as he ran his hands over Kagami's scales, fascinated as he felt the heat radiating off of them. 

Kagami looked uncomfortable for a moment at the question. "Some dragons are more reptilian than others," he said quietly, shifting his arm a little so that Akashi could run his smaller hands along the scales of his neck. "You'll find there are many different kinds of dragons in the world and not all of them will fit into your expectations of what a dragon should be."

"I'll keep that in mind," Akashi promised. "So what do you have planned for today, sensei? I suppose it's something interesting seeing as you made me wake up and eat nothing before coming."

Kagami grinned, the action baring two long rows of very sharp teeth before turning his head to look Akashi in the eye. Again he was thrown by how small he was compared to Kagami's dragon form. His head was the same size as one of Kagami's eyes and Akashi was sure, judging by his sizable throat, the other boy wouldn't have any trouble swallowing him whole if he truly wanted. 

"Usually what I want to do would come second or third in the training stage but since we don't have time to take you through things nice and slow, I'll just have to improvise to speed your progress along," Kagami explained, looking excited. Behind him his tail flicked eagerly, knocking over a tree by accident. Akashi jumped but Kagami hardly looked fazed. 

"And what stage would that be exactly?" Akashi asked. 

Kagami's grin only widened as he sat up on his haunches and shook his wings out. "Take a good long look, Akashi Seijuurou, because this will be your goal for the day."

Akashi paled. "What?!"

"You heard me. Today, by hook or by crook, we're going to force your dragon form out of you." Kagami suddenly dropped onto his forelegs, his face rushing forward to meet Akashi's. Startled by the sudden move and not expecting Kagami to be able to stop his huge body in time, Akashi hurriedly jumped back but tripped and fell into one of the shallow ditches he'd been trying to avoid earlier. Kagami's face stopped centimetres before Akashi's, looming over him and sending hot air into his face as Kagami breathed.

"And believe me, I'm going to have a lot of fun with that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short but I suppose it's better than nothing. I wonder what methods Kagami will use to reveal Akashi's dragon form. Will Akashi even achieve his dragon form? Who knows. I do, but then again, sometimes I don't.
> 
> Find out next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's odd the thoughts that pass through your head as you fall to your death.  
> For example. Akashi wondered what his death would look like in the headlines. How much effort does it take to sensationalize a story about the heir to one of Japan's most influential companies randomly falling out of the sky and dying in a manner reminiscent of childhood cartoon coyotes?

 

Initially, Akashi hadn't been sure what to expect from this 'dragon training' Kagami was meant to give him. Maybe something from those old fighting movies his mother used to watch where the sensei would make the student do a lot of weird seemingly unrelated tasks like mopping floors and cleaning windows which ultimately led to some sort of deeper understanding of whatever he was supposed to be learning. Or maybe something strenuous like his basketball training. Something that would push him to his limits only to find that his new limits were exponentially larger than he thought.

But this... this was _way_ better, or way worse depending on how you wanted to look at it; hundreds of feet in the air, clinging tightly onto the back of a fully transformed Kagami Taiga with nothing to protect his face from the cold air biting into it and nothing to keep him from falling off except his rather strong leg muscles. Was it always so cold this high?

Akashi glanced down at Taiga, taking note of how his wings moved through the air, pushing them onward and upward. With his scales Akashi doubted Taiga could feel the chill of the air in the same way he did. As a matter of fact, Akashi was fairly certain that the warmth radiating from Taiga's scales was probably thing preventing him from dying of hypothermia.

He cautiously peered around Kagami's neck, looking at how far they had gotten and instantly regretted the choice. The ground seemed so far away now and the mountains that looked so huge and intimidating while they were on the ground now looked negligible as Kagami moved upward. What exactly was Kagami aiming for with this flight? Did he think a practical display on a dragon's body would do him some good in learning how to attain his own dragon form? Or was he just showing off.

With the mirth Kagami had displayed when he suggested the idea Akashi figured it was most likely a mixture of both.

"I think we're high enough now," Kagami said suddenly, his voice carrying over the wind whipping past Akashi's ears. Akashi couldn't agree or disagree considering he had no idea what they were up here for in the first place.

Kagami's movement forward gradually slowed until he was flying in one spot. Akashi noted that Kagami's wings seemed to be beating extra hard now that they weren't propelling him forward. He supposed being still in the air was much harder than moving through it.

"I think that's enough demonstration for now," Kagami said, turning his head to look around. Akashi couldn't see anything but he would bet his eyes were woefully inept compared to Kagami's right now.

"W-why are we all the w-way up h-here?" Akashi asked, not quite managing to keep the stammer out of his voice.

"You'll see in a moment," Kagami promised. "For now I want you to focus. You've stopped bursting into fire uncontrollably which is good, but now I need you to focus on those flames and bring them out of your own free will."

Akashi was skeptical. Saying that he'd managed to stop his flames was a bit of a stretch. Since he'd woken up that morning they hadn't bothered him but he attributed that to Kagami's presence more than anything else. He wasn't sure he could attribute the sudden absence of his spontaneous combustion to his own control (as much as he would have liked to).

"You're feeling cold now aren't you?" Kagami asked. Akashi nodded but realized that with his position, sitting on Kagami's neck and just above his wing joints, the dragon wouldn't be able to see him.

"O-Obviously," he sniped, rubbing his arms to get warm. "A-any human would b-be c-cold this high u-up."

"You're not a human, you're a dragon," Kagami corrected. "If there's one thing a dragon shouldn't be affected by it's the weather. A dragon embodies fire and heat, something wild and powerful but which can be controlled so that the elements around them will never be a problem. You're going to have to tap into that power now. And I suggest you try and hurry. If you keep thinking like a human you're going to die of hypothermia like one."

Akashi scowled. If he had less self-control he would have been tempted to stick his tongue out at Kagami as a form of rebellion. As it was, he managed to reign in the impulse and take in a deep breath instead. The cold air burned his throat which had long since dried out during their ascent. Now it stung making breathing slightly painful and serve as even more encouragement to hurry along the damned lesson.

He tried clearing his mind but it was hard to do so when his body was continuously being wracked with shivers made worse by the wind stirred up by Kagami's wings. In addition to that his mind seemed to be buzzing with confusion. How _exactly_ was he supposed to draw this flame out? It wasn't like he grew up like this and knew how to draw on these new abilities from birth. This was totally different from shougi or horse riding or basketball... Or was it?

A low growl from Kagami vibrated through his body reminding Akashi of his narrow time frame. He took another deep breath, ignoring the stab of pain in his chest, before attempting to re-align his train of thought.

Basketball. This wasn't entirely like basketball, but it could be. In the middle of an intense match, like his last match against Seirin, Akashi had been forced to pull power from a part of him he never knew existed. He had been forced to calm his mind in a tight situation and  use his body in the most efficient way he could despite never having done it before. This was no different.

He thought back to his state of mind during that match, how chaotic things had seemed in the moment. Similar to what was going on now, he had been confused and wary and he over thought things too much leading to unnecessary clutter in his mind. He closed his eyes and focused on something else aside from his breathing (finding it too painful to think of any way) and was surprised to find the beating of Kagami's wings rather soothing.

The loud, steady beats of the wings as it worked to keep them airbourne sounded remarkably similar to the steady beat of a basketball on the court. One. Two. Three. Four.

Without realizing it, he began to calm down. Little by little, he stopped shivering as much as he began to focus. His mind was blank, nothing in it but the steady beat set by Kagami's wings.

Then he saw it. A spark lit somewhere in the back of his mind giving him something to focus on in the void he had made. For a moment it illuminated something. Something large and winding and full of teeth, Then it was gone leaving only the flame. It was a small flame but the more Akashi focused on it, the larger it became. Akashi imagined it moving from his mind and settling somewhere else, somewhere deep in his stomach at the core of his being. As he imagined it he could feel something warm blooming there and slowly spreading through his body. It started off warm then grew hotter and hotter as it spread through his body. By the time the heat reached his fingers it was almost unbearable. He panicked for a moment, realizing the beating was growing faster only to realize he was hearing his own heartbeat. It was beating so quickly that it stunned Akashi with its pace.

Frightened by the sudden intensity of everything around him, Akashi almost let the fire consume him. A sudden bump from Kagami jolted him out of it quickly though. He opened one eye, surprised to see one of Kagami's eyes fixed on him while he tried to sort  himself out. Slightly embarrassed, Akashi closed his eyes once more and attempted to focus again.

This time the beating of his heart didn't surprise him. He focused on it, taking deep breaths in an attempt to get it to slow and match the steady beat of Kagami's wings. Over time it slowed and the heat that had been burning him began to recede. Now it was no longer as uncomfortable but it burned just below his skin, making him aware of every part of his body. Oddly enough, the parts of him touching Kagami's own scales seemed extra hot.

"You got that quickly enough," Kagami said as Akashi slowly opened his eyes once more. "I don't know why I was so surprised. You are a genius after all." Akashi ignored the tone in his voice that sounded slightly put out.

"Self awareness doesn't take a genius to master," Akashi said coolly. He was surprised at how warm he felt now. He could kind of feel the chill in the air but it felt like he was wearing the world's thinnest and warmest jacket for all the effect the cold was having on him now.

"Well congratulations," Kagami said. "That was just phase one. Controlling your flame is one thing. Transforming is another."

Akashi felt smug. He was certain he could deal with whatever Kagami could throw at him.

"When you fist felt your flame, you got a glimpse of something didn't you," Kagami asked. "You might not fully remember it, but you can feel it. That's your dragon, waiting to take form and become one with you."

Akashi flexed his fingers, almost feeling them itch.

"Think on that moment, think on it hard."

Akashi faltered for a moment confused. "What are-"

"I hope you've got it. Cuz you'll need it." And before Akashi could utter another word Kagami rolled in mid air. Akashi felt his stomach drop as he scrabbled to find purchase on Kagami's scales but his fingers slid off the smooth surface. His legs, not ready for the sudden shift, had no time to squeeze and hang on and Akashi felt nothing but horror as he slid from Kagami's back.

Kagami straightened and Akashi felt the dragon's tail brush by him. He raised his hand in one last attempt to stop himself from falling but he fell short and he barely felt Kagami's tail grazing his finger tips.

Then, he was falling.

* * *

It's odd the thoughts that pass through your head as you fall to your death. For example. Akashi wondered what his death would look like in the headlines. How much effort does it take to sensationalize a story about the heir to one of Japan's most influential companies randomly falling out of the sky and dying in a manner reminiscent of childhood cartoons? Not much he imagined. Then again, would it even matter if they could never find his body? He imagined that, even from this height, the impact he would have on the ground wouldn't make that much of an effect on the general terrain.

These were the thoughts running through Akashi's mind after the initial shock of being set into a sudden free fall by his 'sensei'. For a few 100 metres of falling Akashi had completely resigned himself over to the fact that he was about to die. He had made peace with his gods (despite never praying a day since his mother's passing) and was ready to move on into the next life before he happened to get a glimpse of Kagami against the sky.

Even from this distance, Kagami looked impressive. His long body spread out against the blue sky seemed endless and fluid. His wings, spread out wide on both sides of his body, looked wide and powerful as they cut through the air. For a moment something in him ached and he wondered what it would be like to have that much power. To be able to move through the sky so easily, untethered by the rules of men.

In that moment, Akashi wholly and truly desired to be a dragon.

That fire that he had lit earlier burned once more. Akashi could feel it moving through him, burning him, consuming him. This time, he allowed it.

He turned his thoughts inward, focusing on the sight he'd seen earlier. The vision came to him once more, filling his mind. He wondered if it was possible for a thought to take up too much room because now it certainly seemed so. It felt as though his head would burst. Yet for all that he still couldn't properly see what he was supposed to become.

He could see bright red scales, a green spine and rows of white teeth but he still couldn't get the whole picture! He growled in frustration.

He was jolted out of his thoughts when a large claw closed around him. He looked around only to realize Kagami had caught up with him in his dive. His stomach lurched as he felt his decent steadily slowing. He peered out of Kagami's claws only to swallow as he saw the ground approaching a little too fast for comfort.

Fortunately Kagami seemed to know what he was doing. He slowed their descent quickly before folding his wings and making a sharp turn just missing the earth and shooting up into the sky once more.

"Nothing so far, huh?" Kagami asked as he began to climb once more.

Akashi sighed, and leant back in Kagami's claw. "I thought I had it."

Kagami chuckled. "You'll get it soon enough. I saw how calm you were. That's a much better reaction than the one I had the first time _my_ sensei did that to me. I spent so much time cursing her on that first trip down that I didn't actually get around to focusing till the next time."

"Next time?" Akashi repeated, turning green at the thought.

"Yeah. _Next time_." Akashi could feel Kagami grinning. "Did you think this was a one time thing? Nah. If we had time we could focus on meditating and all that to bring out your dragon but since we don't, I figure scaring it out of you might be the best way." Akashi  weighed the consequences of cursing his 'teacher' while they were a thousand metres in the air. After a moment of thought he decided it definitely wasn't worth it and resigned himself to more free falls.

"I hope your catches are as good as your dunks," Akashi said quietly, more to himself than anything but was surprised when Kagami laughed.

"Don't worry," Kagami said, his claw curling around Akashi tighter. "I haven't failed yet."

"Forgive me for not being comforted," Akashi replied dryly.

That earned another chuckle. "Can't say I didn't try," was his reply before letting Akashi go once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kagami's 'subtle' attempts at revenge give me life. So does a confused Akashi. It won't last for long though.
> 
> I can't wait for this story to progress more. I have a lovely little plot twist for our dear Taiga that may or may not throw a kink into our boys' budding relationship but that doesn't happen for a while yet, so I'm getting wayy ahead of myself. I can't wait to get to it though. hehehe
> 
> Thank you to all those who have left comments so far. You give me life and light in these dreary times. Please don't forget to leave more.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Yet... so..." Reo swallowed hard, fixing Akashi with a strong stare. "So... dragons...? They're.... they're a thing?" 
> 
> Akashi licked his lips and nodded. "Yeah. They're a thing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of filler. A bit of plot (not really)

****

Akashi was of the staunch opinion that Kagami was messing with him.

He glared at the other dragon who was sitting across from him trying to work through his summer assignments. Akashi noted with some relish that Kagami seemed to be struggling. At least he wasn't the only one floundering this summer.

Akashi snapped his eyes shut when Kagami glanced his way, no doubt to make sure that Akashi was still deep in meditation. Akashi still couldn't see the purpose of this exercise. Of course he knew meditation held its own benefits but he had proven throughout the week that pulling his 'flame' out was no easy task. Kagami assured him he was moving fast compared to any other dragon his age but that wasn't enough for him. This was supposed to be the first step so why was it so hard? And Akashi knew he was so close.

In all their free falling exercises (Akashi was certain he'd never be scared of heights again) he'd only managed to get a taste of that all consuming flame Kagami told him would be the key to his transformation. Green scales taunted him in his dreams and it made him want to gnash his teeth when another day passed with no progress. Now after an entire week Akashi couldn't help but feel pressured.

At most Kagami had six weeks to teach him and already their initiating week was feeling like a wash. Akashi wasn't used to failure and it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He jumped when Kagami let out a frustrated sigh and slammed his book closed.

"Stupid math. Why do they have to give so much work when you're supposed to be relaxing?" Kagami was grumbling, shoving his books aside. Normally he would have put his work off till the last second but being in Akashi's presence made Kagami itchy about slacking off. It felt odd knowing he had work to do but wasn't doing it while Akashi worked on his dragon powers.

"Finished already?"

Kagami glared at Akashi's smug tone. The smaller boy was peering at him with one (thankfully red) eye and was practically radiating smugness. Yeah well at least I can actually transform Bakashi so take that! Kagami muttered some very unpleasant words in English before standing and rolling his shoulders.

"I'm going crazy," he announced.

Forgoing his attempts at pretending to meditate, Akashi opened both his eyes and tilted his head. "You have something else planned?"

"You feel like going free falling again?" Kagami asked, just a tad snappishly. A shiver passed over him when Akashi's eyes narrowed (he may have apologised but Kagami was still wary of the smaller boy) before he relaxed.

"I'd rather not today. I prefer not die on a Saturday," was his cool reply.

"So any other day's fine then? Good to know," Kagami grinned, not missing the twitch of Akashi's lips that basically quantified a smile for him. "You got a basketball around here? I feel like I haven't tossed one around in ages."

The thought of playing basketball sent a thrill through Akashi. After this odd week basketball might well be the remedy for his lethargy.

There was just a slight problem. "I have a ball but you'll find the compound isn't conducive to a game of basketball."

That earned a frown from Kagami. "Then what's the point in even bringing it up?" he huffed, crossing his arms. All the flying he'd been doing lately was refreshing and all but he missed basketball. Not to mention Riko would kill him if she found out he'd been slacking in his training. He was already missing out on Seirin's team retreat, there was no need to incur more of her wrath unnecessarily.

Akashi blinked slowly, something occurring to him.

"I may... have a solution..."

 

* * *

 

 

"This school is absolutely ridiculous," Kagami deadpanned.

"I'd like to think we have something called, standards," was Akashi's reply.

"There are standards, and then there's over kill. This... this is overkill."

Kagami was so done with rich people and their rich people schools. No school needed five gyms. These people obviously just had too much money and needed something to do with themselves.

"To be fair only three of the gyms are for basketball," Akashi said as he unlocked one of them. He seemed fairly used to the action so Kagami was certain that 'breaking' into school on weekends for impromptu basketball was something Akashi was more than a little familiar with. Who knew?

"Yes. Only three. That's so much better," Kagami said with a roll of his eyes as he dumped his bag down and began shamelessly inspecting the gym. Seriously. Rich people. They needed better things to do with their lives.

There was no denying the gym was nice though. Much nicer than the ones at Seirin. Even the bleachers looked more comfortable then theirs and, as a general rule, bleachers were never comfortable. Again. Stupid rich people.

"Complain as much as you like, the end result it still the same," and Kagami had to scramble to get his hands up to catch the ball that was being tossed in his face. Akashi smirked at Kagami's indignant squawk. Kagami may have the advantage during their training but Akashi was more than ready to put him in his place on the court.

As though reading his thoughts, Kagami smirked, twirling the ball in his hands. "You think you're so slick don't you. Alright, lets get this show rolling," he grinned, looking feral in his excitement.

"Ara! It's so intense in here!" Both boys turned at the sudden intrusion. Kagami was surprised to see Mibuchi Reo leaning against the door frame with a small smile on his... their? lips.

Kagami frowned as Rakuzan's shooting guard sauntered into the gym closely followed by Hayama Kotaro and Nebuya Eikichi. He sent Akashi a questioning look which he returned by waving his phone. Huh. He wanted company?

"You know, even with backup I could still kick your ass," Kagami smirked.

"Hah! You wish!" Nebuya guffawed while Hayama frowned.

"I didn't realize you already had company, Akashi-kun," Hayama said, giving Kagami an odd look.

"He's something of a recent acquisition," Akashi stated dryly. The three Uncrowned Kings gave Kagami considering looks with varying levels of suspicion.

"And have you had your... issue dealt with?" Reo asked in a stage whisper, fluttering their fingers in what Kagami supposed was a secretive manner.

A wry grin played on Akashi's lips. "Ahh yes. That. Well I found someone who was able to help."

That surprised his team mates and it showed on their faces.

"You can get help for something like that?" Nebuya blurted. "No offense but randomly bursting into flames ain't something a shot can fix."

"Randomly bursting into flames huh?" Kagami repeated, giving Akashi an incredulous look. So the Uncrowned Kings knew then. Figures. Akashi didn't seem like he had a lot of friends so it wasn't much of a stretch to place them together when his magic started going hay wire.

The trio, on the other hand, visibly paled at Kagami's words. That was something that was supposed to be a secret and they'd flubbed big time.

Nebuya scrambled to fix the mess he'd made. "Shit. Um I mean. What it is was-"

"There's no need to explain. Kagami-san is well aware of my problem," Akashi said, cutting through Nebuya's floundering.

That gave him pause. "Really?" he asked, narrowing Kagami with a suspicious glare.

"Remember I said I found someone who was able to help?" Akashi repeated. The trio nodded slowly. "Well, meet the help," he finished, gesturing to Kagami.

"Oi! I resent that!" Kagami growled while the others gaped.

"I'm.... not too sure I follow Sei-chan," Reo said, stepping closer.

Kagami rubbed the back of his neck. This was where things got tricky. Technically there was no rule explicitly preventing a small amount of humans from knowing that the magical world existed, it was just one of those things that was understood. The more humans knew the harder it would be to keep other magical creatures safe. Plus it was usually left to a dragon's judgement as to who to tell or not. Kagami preferred the latter option of not telling anyone. It was just easier that way. He would have appreciated some heads up from Akashi however. He had been assuming the other boy hadn't told anyone. He'd have to deal with that later.

Akashi gave Kagami a curious look, no doubt wondering how much he could share with his team mates. Despite their rough start (on Akashi's head), the younger boy had grown fond of his upper classmen and they had been a great boon to him when his powers first started acting up. They'd kept him calm -despite almost burning them repeatedly- until he'd gotten a letter stating he'd be getting a teacher soon. The last part he hadn't shared with them but he wished he had. They were his support group and when Kagami eventually left Akashi wanted someone (preferably someones) he could talk to when he was left alone.

Kagami shrugged and waved his hands. "It's your choice what you wanna tell them," he said, ignoring the curious looks being given to him by the kings. "They're your friends."

"Akashi-san you know you can tell us anything," Hayama ventured, not liking the silent conversation that seemed to be passing between the younger boys. Kagami shrugged and looked away, leaving the choice entirely to Akashi.

Akashi sighed. For once he actually felt nervous. He was gong to tell them, obviously, but what would their reactions be? Akashi was the one going through the training and sometimes it didn't even feel real to him. He hoped they would understand or at least try to.

"Well my friends... it would seem..." and the trio leaned forward, waiting for the big reveal. "That I am a dragon."

Nebuya blinked before bursting out into loud peals of laughter.

Reo frowned, obviously thinking Akashi was joking but Akashi wasn't the type to joke so indeed they were more confused than anything else.

Hayama was glaring at Kagami. "This is what you put in his head? Seriously? You couldn't have come up with anything better?"

Kagami was still resolutely not looking in their direction, instead staring at the rafters. "You gotta convince 'em."

Akashi huffed, crossing his arms and catching Reo and Hayama's attention. Nebuya on the other hand was still laughing his head off, tears streaming down his face now.

"I understand that it sounds ridiculous but-"

"Sei-chan, are you sure you're thinking straight?" Reo cut in, stepping forward to feel Akashi's forehead. "You're a bit warm. Are you feeling feverish?"

Akashi barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead catching Reo's hand in his and giving them a serious look. "I am completely in possession of all my faculties, thank you very much," he said, a bit cross now.

"Whhoo! Dragons! That's the best yet!" Nebuya laughed, finally recovering enough to speak as he wiped his eyes. "Akashi I didn't know you had jokes in you."

"I don't," Akashi dead panned, glaring at his team mates. He needed them to understand! "I realize that this isn't the easiest or even the most logical thing to hear but... I've had certain things revealed to me that have shaken quite a few of my founding beliefs."

The words were said with such a serious tone that even Nebuya had to stop and give their captain a good look.

"Yeah but you can't really mean-"

"Dragons. Big, scaley, fire breathing dragons," Akashi said, taking a moment to look each of his teammates in the eye so they could see just how serious he was being.

Reo wanted to believe Akashi, he truly did, but dragons? That was a bit of a stretch. Sure Japan was full of superstitious folk but it didn't mean they would believe something like that. Still, Akashi's eyes said he totally believed every word he said so how could Reo doubt his conviction. Still, it was so much to try and acknowledge much less accept.

Akashi turned to Kagami who was still not making eye contact with any of them. "Some help!"

"I didn't hear a please," Kagami said, smirking. Privately Reo gave Kagami extra points for having guts. No one taunted Akashi the way Kagami seemed to be doing.

Akashi for his part, looked like he'd been forced to swallow something particularly bitter. "Your assistance, please, Taiga-sensei," he forced out.

Kagami didn't look the slightest bit pleased by the last part tacked on to the request (Reo knew that was Akashi's vengeance but hearing Akashi call someone his own age 'sensei' was just too weird) but acquiesced, finally turning to them. He sighed and tossed the basketball into the air for a moment.

"Well, you might not want to believe me, but Akashi isn't lying. He's a dragon all right. Not too sure about the big and scaly party but a dragon no doubt," he said, tossing the ball from hand to hand.

"And we're just supposed to take your word for it?" Hayama growled, losing his cheerful persona for once and stalking over to Kagami.

Kagami's eyes narrowed and he tossed the ball at Hayama, tapping into just enough of his dragon strength for the force of the throw to literally knock Hayama off his feet.

"Yup," he said in english, popping the 'p' for emphasis as Hayama gaped up at him. That little display made Nebuya and Reo zero in on the younger boy immediately.

"I said help not hurt!" Akashi snapped.

Kagami shrugged, looking amazingly nonplussed for a boy with his known temper. "Demonstrations usually help more than words."

"I'll demonstrate my fist in your face!" Nebuya thundered, stalking over to Kagami. No one was allowed to hurt his team mates.

"Nebuya don't hurt him!" Reo cautioned but it was too late as the other boy was already swinging.

Kagami easily dodged the blow, leaning back and then spinning. Before Nebuya could fully understand what had happened he was on his back with Kagami grinning down at him.

He growled, pounding his fist on the ground as he moved to raise up once more. "You little-"

"Holy shit he has a tail!" Hayama yelled, scrambling away from Kagami. Akashi, Reo and Hayama had been in full view when Kagami's long tail suddenly materialized in a sudden burst of flame, slipping between Nebuya's legs while he was throwing his punch and sending the older boy sprawling.

Akashi noted familiar features of the tail. It was slimmer than he was used to seeing but then again the only times he'd really seen it were when Kagami was fully transformed and was busy throwing him off cliffs. Did it always have those red ridges on the back?

"Yep, a tail," Kagami grinned, the appendage waving lazily behind him while the others gaped. "Take note Akashi, this is called a partial transformation. Some day you might be able to do it but, eh. We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

Reo jumped away from Akashi as though he'd been burned. The rejection stung just as badly as if Reo had hit him instead of just running away.

"You... you have a tail too?" was all Reo managed to get out.

Akashi wavered. "I...."

"No. But only because he doesn't even know how to transform yet," Kagami answered instead, jumping slightly when Nebuya poked at the tail seemingly in shock at the display. Kagami gave Akashi a look of disbelief before edging his tail away from the curious/stunned boy.

"Yet... so..." Reo swallowed hard, fixing Akashi with a strong stare. "So... dragons...? They're.... they're a thing?"

Akashi licked his lips and nodded. "Yeah. They're a thing." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. I didn't realise how long I've left this down. Shame on me. 
> 
> P.S. I'm aware Kagami seems out of character for the last part but how he reacts as a human and how he reacts as a draon are two very different things. (or at least that's how I'm approaching it)
> 
> Much thanks to those of you who left reviews. You're great.

**Author's Note:**

> Liked it? Yay or nay? Either way I'll be continuing it at some point but I'd be happy to hear any comments or suggestions. 
> 
> I have a lot of headcanons for this couple that are gonna end up making their way into this.....


End file.
